Rishi Sunak has electricity grid upgraded to heat his private pool

Rishi Sunak’s new private heated swimming pool uses so much energy that the local electricity network had to be upgraded to meet its power demands, the Guardian has been told.

Jim Waterson www.theguardian.com 

While many Britons are facing increased electricity bills – and are trying to limit their energy usage – extra equipment was recently installed in a remote part of North Yorkshire to provide extra capacity from the National Grid to the prime minister’s constituency home.

This followed Sunak’s construction of a new heated swimming pool, gym and tennis court in the grounds of the manor house he occupies at weekends. Engineers had to install a substantial amount of equipment and a new connection to the National Grid that runs across open fields.

Sunak will personally pick up the cost of the electricity upgrade work – estimated to have cost tens of thousands of pounds – in addition to the ongoing cost of energy consumption for the swimming pool.

Construction work on Sunak’s private 12-metre (40ft) swimming pool has finished just as many council-run baths, including in his local area, are being forced to reduce their opening hours owing to increased energy costs. This week, the House of Commons culture select committee called on the government to offer extra help to swimming pools in the forthcoming budget, suggesting 350 pools had closed or cut their hours as a result of energy costs.

Only last month, the operators of a swimming pool near the prime minister’s home said it would reduce public access because of the increased cost of energy.

Meanwhile, the government is preparing to end its energy bills support scheme, although it is likely it will temporarily extend it in next week’s budget.

Sunak’s constituency home is an imposing Grade II-listed manor with extensive gardens including a private lake, weir and boathouse. The home is surrounded by a sprawling collection of isolated farmhouses, and the immediate neighbouring buildings are three houses, a farm and the remnants of a medieval settlement.

Sunak’s new pool was built on greenfield agricultural land that until recently was used for grazing animals.

A spokesperson for the prime minister declined to comment on the works at his constituency home.

Sunak is believed to have paid for the work on his home using personal funds, and there is no suggestion he used his status to receive preferential treatment from Northern Powergrid, which maintains the network in the region. Developers and businesses often pay to upgrade the local grid when constructing new buildings.

Sunak bought the home for £1.5m in 2015, shortly after becoming the MP for the constituency of Richmond. He still regularly visits the house, although he often eschews the direct rail service from London to nearby Northallerton in favour of a personally funded helicopter trip.

The home abuts an abandoned medieval settlement, and the remnants of ancient rig-and-furrow cultivation are still visible in the surrounding fields – a stark difference to Sunak’s other private homes, which are a new-build flat overlooking the Pacific Ocean in California and a mews house in central London.

When Sunak’s swimming pool was given planning permission in 2021, local councillors were told that the building was designed to look like a converted agricultural building clad in local stone and blend in with the local area.

But at the meeting, one councillor, John Noone, said: “It doesn’t look like an agricultural building to me; it looks like a rather large bungalow.”

A year ago Owl alerted residents to a “survey” from Simon Jupp addressed to named individuals asking, amongst other things, how they voted in 2019.

Apparently “Big Brother” is at it again, with a focus on Exmouth residents.

This time, however, a  sinister shadowy figure can be seen peering over his shoulder.

(Jupp’s left shoulder to be precise)

Scary! – Owl 

PS The Tories are obviously now too old to conquer the finer skills of PhotoShop

THEN

NOW

HERE IS WHAT SIMON & PHIL WANT TO KNOW (and record)

Police and Crime Commissioner role could be scrapped under devolution plans

The office of our PCC employs 30 Full time equivalent staff and cost us £6m annually.

Are the selfies worth it? – Owl

Oliver Pridmore www.nottinghampost.com

Ben Bradley says the role of Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) could be scrapped in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire as part of devolution arrangements for both counties. The leader of Nottinghamshire County Council was speaking as the results of a public consultation on the proposed East Midlands devolution deal are published.

The deal would see a new authority established in the East Midlands that would be given £1.14 billion over 30 years, alongside extra powers in areas such as housing and transport. Those taking part in the consultation broadly agreed with most parts of the deal, but there was less support for the creation of an East Midlands Mayor to head up the new devolved authority.

The first East Midlands Mayor is set to be elected in May 2024, the same month when the new East Midlands authority is set to be formally established. The public consultation saw 45% disagreeing with the plans for the governance of the new authority, compared to 42% who agreed, with comments mainly focusing on the creation of the new mayor role.

But speaking about some of the concerns raised, Ben Bradley said: “Certainly people ask those questions around whether this is more politicians and more elections. It doesn’t have to be and we’ve got all sorts of options as we go forward.

“There are options in other places where you have less politicians, where PCCs disappear and become part of the combined authority. All those things are questions for us to consider and look at in the future.

“It doesn’t have to be more politicians. I feel very strongly that this is about getting all of our existing people and structures into a coherent strategy so we’re working together instead of pulling in different directions.”

PCCs are elected to hold the Chief Constable of the relevant force to account and to oversee the force as a whole. The roles were created in 2012 after the abolition of police authorities, with former Sherwood MP Paddy Tipping serving as Nottinghamshire’s first PCC.

Mr Tipping, who stood for Labour, was elected again in 2016 but was then defeated by Conservative candidate Caroline Henry in 2021. Speaking about the future of the role, Caroline Henry said: “No decision has yet been made on whether the role of the PCC will be subsumed into a new governance structure because there are two statutory police force areas, with separate commissioners.

“As such, the PCC element is unlikely to be a component. As it stands, we are told by government that they fully expect there to be PCC election cycles in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire in May 2024.”

The devolution agreement was first signed last August by Ben Bradley, together with the leaders of Nottingham City Council, Derby City Council and Derbyshire County Council. Nottingham City Council leader David Mellen has previously said he was not “100% in favour” of having a new East Midlands mayor.

But Ben Bradley says having a mayor is a condition of being given the amount of money and power set to be handed to the East Midlands. He said: “We took the view as the four upper tier leaders across Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire that we would play the game.

“We want these outcomes, so we’ll do what we need to do to get these outcomes. In other places over the border, they decided to have an argument with Government about it and as a result they’re not going to get the outcomes.

“I think we’ve made the right choice.” Addressing the question of whether there would be a low turnout for the first East Midlands Mayor election, Councillor Bradley said: “It’s incumbent on us as leaders to make sure we engage with people and they see the reasons to come and have their say on this, so I hope this won’t be an issue.”

Ben Bradley, who also serves as Mansfield’s Conservative MP, has not yet confirmed whether he would run to be East Midlands Mayor himself. The process of establishing a ‘shadow’ East Midlands authority, preceding the formal set-up next year, is set to begin in April.

Caroline Henry added: “I always want the best for people in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire and I am fully supportive of any devolution deal that helps deliver the best outcome in terms of investment and local control for vital services and infrastructure. I have been working closely with senior figures across Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, Derby and Derbyshire throughout this process to help deliver the best deal for local people.”

The consultation saw 4,869 responses altogether, with majority agreement on proposals around the transport and environment powers the new authority would have. Legislation to form the new authority could go through Parliament later this year.

“Last year, a 1.3km (0.8 mile) rock berm at the base of the cliff was approved in principle, but the council funding for the £15m scheme was challenging to obtain, with just £2.5m available from the government.”

Work to demolish three homes close to the cliff edge in Norfolk has started after high tides cut into sandy cliffs.

Residents have left their wooden properties in The Marrams in Hemsby, some of which are within 1m (3.2ft) of the cliff edge and at risk of collapse.

By Kate Scotter, Jon Ironmonger, Martin Barber & Andrew Turner www.bbc.co.uk (online article contains many graphic images)

Several outbuildings were lost to the sea as high tide hit at about 21:00 GMT on Friday.

Sue, whose property was the first to be taken down, said it was “soul-destroying”.

The demolition of her house is now complete, and the two other properties will be flattened on Sunday, contractors on the site say.

Along with her neighbours, Sue spent the morning hurriedly packing up her belongings before the demolition teams moved in.

Sue, who did not want to give her surname, said she wished more could have been done to save her home of three years.

“It’s really annoying, it’s all your hopes and dreams collapsed into nothingness,” she said.

This time last week there was up to 20ft between her property and the cliff edge, and then there was just 3ft.

She was told she would have to get planning permission for her home to be moved back from the cliff edge but there was not enough time.

Watching her house being destroyed with her head in her hands, she said: “We’ve got some very happy memories there because it’s got lovely energy to it, lovely atmosphere.”

Mary Withey, whose home is also set to be demolished, said she and her partner “had got what we can”.

“I’m not OK with it, it’s been my home, I don’t want to move… it’s very sad,” said Ms Withey, who has lived in her house for four years,

“When I first heard I was in shock and today I’ve just been tearful, it’s horrible.”

Jane Beck, head of property and asset management at Great Yarmouth Borough Council, had initially planned to demolish all three properties within the day, before the next high tide at 21:38.

“It’s extremely sad for those people and we’re trying to do everything we possibly can to help them through that process,” Ms Beck said.

The beach and surrounding area at Hemsby should be avoided, she added, and she urged people to stay away for their own safety.

The only access road to properties on the Marrams has also been cordoned off and is expected to collapse.

Fire crews knocked on doors on Friday and urged anybody still in the affected properties to leave their homes.

During the evening, a shed and a playhouse toppled over the cliff but Hemsby Independent Lifeboat crew managed to rescue two chickens from the shed which they said “put a smile on everyone’s face”.

Daniel Hurd, coxswain with the lifeboat crew, said it had been a “long old night”.

The Highways Agency blocked off the road on Friday evening and BT responded to a telegraph pole that was tilting on the edge.

“Luckily we managed to get that on to the beach and not risk public safety by it falling on top of them,” he said.

“My concern now is that if [the erosion] gets to the car parks, we possibly may have to shut the doors on the lifeboat station and then you won’t have sea cover off Hemsby at all… and that is serious,” he added.

Great Yarmouth Borough Council’s chief executive, Sheila Oxtoby, said the authority was looking to bring some rock on to the beach to protect the road access to a number of other properties as a “temporary solution”.

It is understood 1,900 tonnes of granite are due to arrive on Tuesday.

Ms Oxtoby said: “At the same time as dealing with the immediate issue, we’re also looking at how we can use our emergency powers to provide a temporary rock berm solution to give us more time for the main scheme.”

Mr Hurd, however, said the current situation was “heart-breaking” and could have been resolved earlier.

He said: “I just think it’s absolutely ridiculous, this has been an emergency for years and it’s taken this weekend for them to see it’s an emergency to then get a rock berm put on the beach.”

Borough councillor, James Bensley, said he could understand people were frustrated but there had been “so much bureaucracy”.

“It’s a real minefield of making sure that what local government and the authorities do is the correct line of procedure and I can totally understand people’s frustrations,” he said.

“We [also] have to make sure it works, we have to make sure it’s cost affordable and doesn’t affect further south down the coast.

“I know the process and the time that has been taken is exhausting and I can fully appreciate and understand that but we have to do it correctly and with the tools that we have got and through the right channels.”

Hemsby, near G.reat Yarmouth, is home to about 3,000 people and was once home to a Pontins holiday camp

Seven bungalows along The Marrams had to be demolished when sandy cliffs washed away in March 2018 and, in December 2013, “the worst storm surge in 60 years”, destroyed seven homes.

Last year, a 1.3km (0.8 mile) rock berm at the base of the cliff was approved in principle, but the council funding for the £15m scheme was challenging to obtain, with just £2.5m available from the government.

 Ms Hernandez said: “Thanks to investment from our residents Devon and Cornwall Police now has record police officer numbers. Having accessible police stations close to our communities is the missing part of the jigsaw in providing the neighbourhood model of policing that the Chief Constable and I support. 

Who removed them and why? – Owl

Planned reopening of Police station front desks

Radio Exe News www.radioexe.co.uk

Total of 17 police enquiry desks will be reopened across Devon and Cornwall

SIX more police enquiry desks will be reopened across Devon and Cornwall in the next 12 months, the county’s Police and Crime Commissioner has announced. 

The next phase of Alison Hernandez’s project to reopen police enquiry offices (PEOs) will see stations reopened to the public in Devonport, Looe, Ilfracombe, Honiton, Okehampton and Kingsbridge in the 12 months to April 2024.

 A total of 17 front desks are being reopened under the project, taking the total number of PEOs across the force area to 26. 

The force was among those to close ‘front desks’ during public sector cuts following the 2009 financial crisis. Across Devon and Cornwall 11 were forced to shut their doors to the public in 2014, although the stations remained in use as operational bases. 

  The Police Enquiry Office in the popular Cornish resort of Newquay was the first to be reopened, in 2020. The Commissioner and CC Kerr are officially reopening the PEOs in Tiverton, Newton Abbot, Penzance, Falmouth, Truro and Bude.  They have plans to open a further four between April 2024 and April 2026.  

  So far £1.5m has been earmarked for investment in the project. In addition, Exmouth Police Station in East Devon is being rebuilt and the new stations is to include a functioning front desk. 

  The Commissioner has made connectivity with the public a cornerstone of her Police and Crime Plans, arguing that face to face contact with the public helps victims and provides a long-term solution to rebuilding confidence in policing. 

  Ms Hernandez said: “Thanks to investment from our residents Devon and Cornwall Police now has record police officer numbers. Having accessible police stations close to our communities is the missing part of the jigsaw in providing the neighbourhood model of policing that the Chief Constable and I support. 

“Although we experience some of the lowest crime levels in the country, drugs and antisocial behaviour are considerable issues for our communities. We want people to feel confident in telling us about the problems and challenges they experience before these issues escalate so preventative action can be taken. 

“Already crimes including non-recent historic offences have been reported at one of our reopened police enquiry desks, demonstrating that some people prefer talking to an officer in confidence and in person.” 

  The force is the largest geographic police force in England and Wales and has more domestic visitors than any other, increasing demand for emergency services in remote rural and coastal locations selected for investment. 

  “There is an immediate positive effect of having these stations back open to the public for these communities,” the Commissioner added. “But this is more than that – it’s about making a long-term commitment to the people of Devon and Cornwall. We want to let them know that the police are by their side, accessible and care about their problems.”

Council’s longest-serving Chief Executive will be stepping down one month after a no-confidence letter urged him to resign. 

Middlesbrough Council chief executive Tony Parkinson has announced he will be stepping down.

Alex O’Leary www.gazettelive.co.uk /

Mr Parkinson – who is the council’s longest-serving chief executive and has been in the role since 2016 – is set to depart on March 24. Mr Parkinson, who is paid £155k a year and has a local government career spanning 33 years, has recently come under fire after concerns over the council’s bleak financial situation.

However, just one month after a no-confidence letter urged him to resign, the council boss has officially announced he will be stepping down. In a statement, he said he “loved every minute” of his time in Middlesbrough and added that “it is the right time to hand over the reins.”

Last month, Labour slammed the “scapegoating of officers” after 17 councillors called for Mr Parkinson to resign, saying they no longer had confidence in his ability. He had been blamed by politicians for the council’s financial situation following £12.4m cuts.

The 17 councillors who wrote a no-confidence letter included executive member for finance and governance Cllr Stefan Walker, chair of the council Cllr John Hobson, chair of the corporate affairs and audit committee Cllr Brian Hubbard, Conservative Group leader Cllr David Coupe and Middlesbrough Independent Group (MIG) leader Cllr Chris Hobson.

The letter raised a number of concerns, including the inadequate rating of the children’s services department in 2020, financial mismanagement, and even Mr Parkinson’s relationship with other politicians.

It came just as the council’s proposed budget revealed a £14.9m shortfall with £12.4m worth of cuts. This was a reduction from when the first budget measures, set out at the end of last year, outlined how £14.2m worth of cuts were expected.

In January, the council was issued a best value notice – a formal notification the government has concerns – following explosive reviews that exposed the local authority’s toxic culture. The letter, from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC), suggested that the Secretary of State Michael Gove could call on powers to launch an inspection or intervention if improvements weren’t made quickly.

Back in November 2021, Mr Parkinson easily survived a vote to scrap his job after 36 councillors voted against the proposals and five abstained. However, last July saw an audit reveal a lack of trust in the council. At the time, Mr Parkinson spoke out, saying council officers were operating in a culture where there were “sometimes attempts to coerce them, bully them, and intimidate them.”

Mr. Parkinson played a pivotal role in the council’s response to public sector cuts, delivering in excess of £113m in savings. He oversaw the response to the covid pandemic and the creation of Middlesbrough ’s Investment Strategy, which has achieved over £300m in investment for the town since 2017.

Mr Parkinson said: “I have loved every minute of my time in Middlesbrough, despite the challenges in local government generally and the more specific challenges that Middlesbrough faces. As we enter a new phase of activity with upcoming elections, it is the right time to hand over the reins to a new chief executive to take Middlesbrough forward.

“Middlesbrough is a place I love and I will miss witnessing the amazing work that council staff do every day. Their passion and commitment to the town and its residents often goes unrecognised but it has never ceased to inspire and amaze me.

“I haven’t given much thought as to what I will do next. I intend to take a little bit of time out to spend with family and friends, work on my golf handicap and get away for a few weeks before considering what, if anything, I want to do professionally.”

Middlesbrough Mayor Andy Preston said: “Thanks very much to Tony for over three decades of service to the town. His commitment to Middlesbrough is legendary. Tony has led Council staff through incredibly challenging times and I know people will be sad to see him leave. I’d like to wish him good luck for the future.”

Former Tory minister who tried to sell off forests is given Natural England role

A former Tory minister who tried to sell off England’s forests has been appointed to the board of Natural England, leading Labour to accuse the government of “cronyism”.

Helena Horton www.theguardian.com 

Dame Caroline Spelman has been given a senior role with the government’s nature watchdog and will set its strategy and policy, as well as overseeing the use of public money. Other trustees announced on Friday include Mel Austen, a professor of ocean and society at the University of Plymouth, and Lynn Dicks, who leads a research group working on sustainable agriculture and insect conservation.

Questions have been raised over the appropriateness of the appointment, as the former environment secretary previously had to apologise for trying to privatise England’s woodland.

Her plans to change the ownership of 258,000 hectares (637,000 acres) of state-owned woodland in 2011 were widely criticised at the time and caused a Tory revolt. She had to take part in a humiliating climbdown in front of fellow MPs. She said at the time: “I have taken a decision to end the consultation on the future of the public forest estate and I take full responsibility for that. I am doing so because it is quite clear from the early responses to the consultation that the public and many honourable members are not happy with the proposals we set out.”

The shadow environment secretary, Jim McMahon, raised questions over the appropriateness of her appointment. “It appears the conveyor belt of Conservative cronyism is alive and well,” he said.

“The decision to appoint the former secretary of state for the environment who attempted to sell off England’s forests to the board of Natural England raises serious questions of judgment from Defra ministers.

“Natural England exists to conserve our natural environment for the benefit of future generations. This flies in the face of somebody who thought it appropriate to sell off some of our most treasured environmental assets.”

Announcing the positions, a spokesperson for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said: “Defra ministers have announced today the appointment of three new members to Natural England’s board: Prof Mel Austen, Dr Lynn Dicks and Dame Caroline Spelman. These appointments are for a three-year term and will run from 1 March 2023 for Lynn Dicks and Dame Caroline Spelman, and 1 April 2023 for Mel Austen.

“The appointments were made in accordance with the governance code on public appointments published by the Cabinet Office. All appointments are made on merit and political activity plays no part in the selection process.”

Defra has been contacted for comment.

BBC will not broadcast Attenborough episode over fear of ‘rightwing backlash’

The BBC has decided not to broadcast an episode of Sir David Attenborough’s flagship new series on British wildlife because of fears its themes of the destruction of nature would risk a backlash from Tory politicians and the rightwing press, the Guardian has been told.

Helena Horton www.theguardian.com

The decision has angered the programme-makers and some insiders at the BBC, who fear the corporation has bowed to pressure from lobbying groups with “dinosaurian ways”.

The BBC strongly denied this was the case and insisted the episode in question was never intended for broadcast.

Attenborough’s highly anticipated new series, Wild Isles, looks at the beauty of nature in the British Isles.

Narrated by David Attenborough, it is expected to be a hit, with five episodes scheduled to go out in primetime slots on BBC One.

A sixth episode has also been filmed, which is understood to be a stark look at the losses of nature in the UK and what has caused the declines. It is also understood to include some examples of rewilding, a concept that has been controversial in some rightwing circles.

The documentary series was part-funded by nature charities the WWF and RSPB, but the final episode will not be broadcast along with the others and will instead be available only on the BBC’s iPlayer service. All six episodes were narrated by Attenborough, and made by the production company Silverback Films, responsible for previous series including Our Planet, in collaboration with the BBC Natural History Unit.

Senior sources at the BBC told the Guardian that the decision not to show the sixth episode was made to fend off potential critique from the political right. This week the Telegraph newspaper attacked the BBC for creating the series and for taking funding from “two charities previously criticised for their political lobbying” – the WWF and RSPB.

One source at the broadcaster, who asked not to be named, said “lobbying groups that are desperately hanging on to their dinosaurian ways” such as the farming and game industry would “kick off” if the show had too political a message.

They added: “Frankly, this idea that you sort of put it in a separate programme to almost parcel it to one side is disingenuous. Why don’t they integrate those stories into all of them at the time?”

In a statement provided after the story was first published, the BBC said: “This is totally inaccurate, there is no ‘sixth episode’. Wild Isles is – and always was – a five part series and does not shy away from environmental content. We have acquired a separate film for iPlayer from the RSPB and WWF and Silverback Films about people working to preserve and restore the biodiversity of the British Isles.”

Alastair Fothergill, the director of Silverback Films and the executive producer of Wild Isles, added: “The BBC commissioned a five-part Wild Isles series from us at Silverback Films back in 2017. The RSPB and WWF joined us as co-production partners in 2018.

It was not until the end of 2021 that the two charities commissioned Silverback Films to make a film for them that celebrates the extraordinary work of people fighting to restore nature in Britain and Ireland. The BBC acquired this film for iPlayer at the start of this year.”

Laura Howard, who produced the programme and used to work at the BBC’s Natural History Unit, said she did not believe its messages to be political.

She told the Guardian: “I think the facts speak for themselves. You know, we’ve worked really closely with the RSPB in particular who are able to factcheck all of our scripts and provide us with detailed scientific data and information about the loss of wildlife in this country. And it is undeniable, we are incredibly nature-depleted. And I don’t think that that is political, I think it’s just facts.”

The producer said the film would touch on how farming practices had harmed wildlife, but would also profile farmers who had done the right thing.

“Those farmers are there to make the point that every farm in the country ought to be able to do a little bit at least of what they do, and that it is possible to farm alongside nature, to make a profit, to produce healthy food and to still run a business,” Howard said.

She added that she hoped a young audience would be able to find the film, as they are used to streaming on iPlayer rather than watching a broadcast.

Caroline Lucas, the Green party MP for Brighton Pavilion, said: “For the BBC to censor of one of the nation’s most informed and trusted voices on the nature and climate emergencies is nothing short of an unforgivable dereliction of its duty to public service broadcasting. This government has taken a wrecking ball to our environment – putting over 1,700 pieces of environmental legislation at risk, setting an air pollution target which is a decade too late, and neglecting the scandal of our sewage-filled waterways – which cannot go unexamined and unchallenged by the public.

“BBC bosses must not be cowed by antagonistic, culture war-stoking government ministers, putting populist and petty political games above delivering serious action to protect and restore our natural world. This episode simply must be televised.”

Chris Packham, who presents Springwatch on the BBC, also criticised the decision. He told the Guardian: “At this time, in our fight to save the world’s biodiversity, it is irresponsible not to put that at the forefront of wildlife broadcasting.”

Stephen Moss, a natural historian and TV producer who has worked for the BBC on nature programmes, said focusing on a conservation angle could win political support for the cause. He said: “Often, if you lead on environmental issues, people genuinely turn off. But if you drip feed it within the programmes and then hit people with a message at the end when you convince them how brilliant wildlife is, it tends to work.

“With Blue Planet, you got Theresa May standing up and Philip Hammond, the chancellor at the time, saying: ‘this is the BBC as its very best’, doing what Conservatives never do, basically praising the BBC and saying: this is fantastic. So maybe that will happen with this. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if Tory politicians jump on the bandwagon and go on and on about how brilliant it is.”

The charities involved in the programme are already using it to launch a campaign – unaffiliated with the BBC – called Save Our Wild Isles. They have gained the support of the National Trust, the Guardian understands.

…unless Muddy Stilettos are your lifestyle.

Personally Owl prefers bloody talons.

Devon locations in race to be voted ‘best place to live’

Ten desirable Devon locations have been named among the UK’s top 250 places to live. Now you have the chance to vote for your local area to see it crowned Devon’s best place to live – and the UK’s hottest postcode outside London.

Caroline Abbott www.devonlive.com

Lifestyle website Muddy Stilettos has curated the top places to live in each county in 2023. When readers have voted for Devon’s best place to live, the winner will go through to the national finals.

Muddy Stilettos says Devon has “over 200 miles of South West coast path, national parks of Dartmoor and Exmoor and more beaches than you can shake an ice-lolly stick at. Plus two vibrant hubs: the cathedral and university city of Exeter and the Ocean City of Plymouth.”

Here are the 10 places in the running to be named Devon’s – and the country’s – best place to live in 2023. Let us know which you will be voting for and why in the comments – or tell us if there’s a place you think should have been on the shortlist but has missed out. You can vote for the place you think deserves to win here and you’ll be in with a chance to win £500 to spend at John Lewis.

Sidmouth

Muddy Stilettos loves Sidmouth’s “seaside location, its unspoilt open spaces and buzzing town centre, plus a very desirable range of period housing.”

It describes Sidmouth as “a Mecca for tourists and the well-heeled retired” but says it’s “far from sleepy.” It “isn’t short” of coffee shops and there’s a still-thriving independent department store, Fields. The town also has “every kind of dance, drama and sporting activity for children.”

Exmouth

Muddy Stilettos says Exmouth is famous for its golden sands and proximity to Exeter while celebrity chef Michael Caines is “really putting it on the map” with Lympstone Manor and Mickey’s Beach Bar.

The town has “much for outdoorsy types” especially watersports, and “increasingly swanky hospitality” as well as good chippy Krispies and Mitch Tonks’ Rockfish which has “fabulous sea views.” The website recommends boutiques Caramel and Shop Dead Gorgeous.

Okehampton

Muddy Stilettos says Okehampton is a town “very much on the up” and it “may be rural but it just got a whole lot better connected thanks to the return of The Dartmoor Line.” The website says it has “everything you could want in terms of rural idyll making it a thoroughly wholesome place to raise a family.”

It has a “vibrant” town centre and Muddy Stilettos loves Image Coffee Lounge where “the atmos is buzzing and the baking hard to beat.” Its main claim to fame is the ruinous English Heritage castle.

Ashburton

Muddy Stilettos says Ashburton is “perfect for anyone who needs all the perks of living in a town but wants to be able to make a fast getaway.” It has two cities just half an hour away and has “brilliant shops, community and a buzzing community.”

The community are “rightly proud of their town’s creative independent spirit” and the foodie scene is “bustling and getting ever more so.” Creamo’s is unmissable for ice cream in unique flavours. In terms of shops, you’re “spoilt for indie choice.”

Tiverton

Tiverton is described as the place for you if you’re a townie at heart as it has “oodles of indie shops but you’re just five minutes from bucolic rolling fields, half an hour from the sandy beach at Exmouth and 45 minutes from the stunning North Devon coast.”

Muddy Stilettos says there’s “loads to like” in Tivvy including a “romantic castle” and “good transport links and one of Devon’s best independent schools.” Sarah’s Kitchen is recommended for cakes and “the best” smoked cheese and bacon scones, while Duck’s Ditty Bar on the canal is a good place for a drink in the sunshine.

Totnes

Muddy Stilettos describes Totnes as “VERY on-trend” as it was “into sustainable living and eco-chic well before the rest of the UK.” It’s your place “if you want the countryside idyll but more than just cows and antiques shops.”

The website says: “It’s seven-day-a-week hustle and bustle with vegan coffee shops, cool indie retailers and talented local producers – vibrant, ethical and alive. Everything a historic market town should be and more.” It’s “foodie heaven” and the weekly market’s street food is “worth a trip alone.” When it comes to shops, there’s “ soooo much to choose from and lots of ethical choice.”

Muddy Stilettos recommends you do not miss Totnes Cinema which is “small and adorably vintage.” It says Totnes “punches above its weight for bringing cool culture to town.”

Topsham

Muddy Stilettos describes Topsham as “an oh-so pretty, bijou town” on the Exe estuary, less than five miles from Exeter. It’s ideal if you “want a waterside location but without the tourists and schlep to the shops.” Fore Street is “what every town wishes it had, replete with indie stores, boutiques, galleries, florists and groceries.”

It’s “buzzy by day and has plenty of nightlife (but not the noisy nightclub kind).” Denleys Essence of India is worth checking out as it has been crowned Asian Restaurant of The Year in the West Country two years on the run.

Tavistock

Muddy Stilettos says Tavistock “may not have a train station but it has everything else you could want in a town.” It has “plentiful amenities” including a swimming pool, cinema and supermarkets. It’s “old-fashioned but in a good way.” Its high street and pannier market are “vibrant and busy” and it “rocks a good cafe culture.” The most Instagrammed spot in town is Odds & Buds Florist.

Kingsbridge

Muddy Stilettos says: “If you crave a laid-back boaty lifestyle, you can’t beat this vibrant town” which is “less shishi (and less pricey) than nearby Salcombe.”

Kingsbridge is “known for a pretty impressive entrepreneurial crowd” and it has a “buzzing high street with an indie vibe.” Notable places to eat include The Old Warehouse while a spot on the upstairs deck of The Crabshell Inn is the place to go for waterside views.

St Leonard’s, Exeter

Muddy Stilettos says: “Leafy St Leonard’s is perfect for the city gal, just a 15-minute trot from Exeter centre with historic architecture, good shops and all the temptations of the cathedral city close by. But city perks come with city prices.”

It’s a “very upmarket” place where “coffee culture is strong” and the shopping parade is “going from strength to strength.”

Plans to protect Sidmouth’s cliffs and coast from collapse have been agreed. Protection is needed for the East Devon seaside town to stop the crumbling cliffs from falling into the sea.

Daniel Clark www.devonlive.com

An East Devon District Council advisory group has agreed to a plan which will lead to 113 residential and 70 commercial properties being better protected from increased flood and erosion risk. The scheme includes constructing a breakwater, improving the slipway and a beach ramp to be built.

At a meeting on Wednesday, the Advisory Group for the Sidmouth and East Beach Management Plan agreed to a changed scheme. The plans aim to reduce the impact and frequency of the cliff falls which have been a regular occurrence, with homes on Cliff Road slowly losing their gardens to the elements.

The scheme includes:

· On the Main Beach the construction of an offshore breakwaters/island similar to the 2 existing breakwaters, plus a “beach recharge”. Existing beach levels will be increased using similar material dredged from offshore.

· On the Esplanade and the Ham area, at the eastern end there will be a replacement splash-wall on the landward side of the existing road near the lifeboat station. West of that the existing splash way will be replaced with better foundations, and the wall rebuilt to approximately the existing height (but this will be reviewed in the detailed design).

· The far eastern end of the Ham and river training wall will have remedial works carried out and an improved larger slipway, specifically to provide speedier lifeboat launching.

· On East Beach there will be the construction of a 120m long “super groyne” and substantial beach recharge, again using beach material dredged from offshore.

· It was also agreed that a proposal for a beach ramp at Chit Rocks will be incorporated into the Beach Management Scheme. This ramp will provide easy access for families with young children and wheelchair access to the beach.

The key improvements on the previous design will be:

· A further rock island parallel to the existing beach which will provide in time additional extra sandy beach area at low tide similar to the changes now experienced between the existing islands and the pebble beach.

· The extra island will eliminate the need to heighten the splash wall along the seafront behind the island for the short to medium term and therefore maintain the existing sea views from existing viewpoints.

· Reduce the requirement to recharge and recycle the beach with extra material in the future, which will reduce future maintenance costs and reduce our carbon footprint.

In the 2017 public consultation it was found that an extra set of islands similar to the 2 islands already built in 1994 were the most popular of the options. That was because the existing islands provided good protection from westerly storms and also created a large pebble amenity beach at Clifton, which also protects the west of the town.

Unfortunately, the previous funding then available excluded the island scheme progressing and therefore the option of increasing the height of the splash wall was agreed, although most unpopular.

Now four years on, with extra funding obtained and further engineering studies, it has shown that a new “Option 6” scheme is achievable. This proposes a single rock island with a new super rock groyne on East Beach placed a short distance from the cliff face and projecting out to sea. Extra beach material is proposed to be brought in and only minimal changes to the splash wall are proposed.

The engineered island and super groyne and increased beach material will provide the required protection to the town and reduce the effect of sea erosion to East Cliffs.

EDDC Councillor Geoff Jung, chair of the Sidmouth Beach Management Advisory Group, said: “I am really pleased that the group has supported the recommendation to move onto the next stage for this important and critical project. For the last 4 years I have been the Councillor overseeing this project and was told at the very beginning it was a challenge!

“It certainly has been a challenge with the funding complexities, Covid lockdowns, escalating material costs and now the dramatic fuel costs rise, we are now finally providing Sidmouth and East Beach the protection they vitally need.

“Climate change”, and “Global Warming” was hardly a consideration when the earlier schemes were being considered in the 1990s. However, we now understand that the effects of the sea and weather will have serious detrimental consequences on the town of Sidmouth, but this plan is designed to protect properties and residents, to retain its character and unique charm for the next 100 years.

“I would like to personally thank the officers, consultants, and group members for their diligence and hours of hard work to finally move on to the detailed design stage, at which time the number and orientation of the new breakwaters will be optimised for effectiveness and visual impact.”

These changes to the scheme have been made possible by changes in the UK Government funding calculator, plus extra contributions from the town, District, County Councils, and other Government Agencies. However, there remains an estimated funding gap of £1.75m which is being underwritten by East Devon District Council (EDDC) to enable the project to progress these important works without delay.

Future Timeline

· 2023 March – Submit OBC to Environment Agency for Assurance

· 2023 June – Tender Consultant for Detailed design phase

· 2023 September – Appoint Consultant

· 2023 October/2024 August – Commence Detailed Design Stage

· 2024 August – Tender Contractor

· 2024 August/2024 November – Planning Process

· 2024 October – Award Contractor

· 2025 May – Construction Commence

· 2026 October – Construction Complete

· 2026 October – Ready for service

Labour will seek to overhaul failing bus services in the biggest change in the sector in 40 years, giving local areas in England devolved powers to reinstate cancelled routes and set affordable fares.

Jessica Elgot www.theguardian.com

The changes are expected to come within months of a Labour government taking power, as part of a “take back control bill” that would give authorities powers to start their own publicly owned bus services.

The shadow transport secretary, Louise Haigh, said the reforms would be the most consequential in a generation for public transport relied on by millions, saying Labour would change a system that was “fundamentally broken”.

“It is a total quiet crisis that’s happening in every community,” she said as she met frustrated passengers in Newcastle. “And it has really serious effects on people’s lives, but it also has really serious effects on the economy, and it’s just not getting the attention it deserves.”

The changes would be a key plank of the party’s local election strategy for the May polls, which will focus on the cost of living and the decline of public services in an effort to win back control of some councils in the north of England.

Haigh said that although the national conversation often focused on trains, which Labour has promised to nationalise, poor performance of bus services often blighted more lives.

Twice as many people use buses as those who catch trains, with 2.91bn bus passenger journeys in 2022. Many do not have other options – 80% of people nationally who rely on buses have no other choice.

Local people and councillors speaking to Haigh in Kingston Park, despite living just a few miles from Newcastle city centre, told of job changes because of intolerable commutes, social isolation, missed medical appointments because of vanishing buses, and children left to wait at bus stops in the dark.

One previously reliable service had undergone three changes in recent years, and other alterations included a service that now included a long walk up a steep hill to the nearest stop, making it impossible to reach for many older people.

A commuter route, the only public transport from a new estate, had been changed to take at least 25 minutes longer to reach the city centre. One person said a journey of five miles now routinely took more than an hour and a half because buses did not appear. “The message is, get a car,” he said.

Different bus companies on routes in Newcastle use different apps, without joined-up timetables and will not accept each others’ day passes. The local MP Catherine McKinnell said the unreliability of services was terrible for local schoolchildren, who were not profitable commuters so were often left on routes with long delays, waiting in the dark.

Haigh said she often encountered disbelief from angry passengers that there was almost nothing politicians or councils could do to maintain or improve services from private bus companies, short of public admonishment.

“We’re the only country in the developed world which hands operators power over routes, fares and services with no say for communities,” she said.

Labour would offer all local areas the chance to franchise bus services, in a similar way to Transport for London, which would give them the power to set routes and fares and remove poor providers, Haigh said.

“This is a radical reform of the way transport is going to work in this country, because it hands power and control back to those communities in a direct attempt to put to reverse that feeling of decline,” she added. “This is the total failure of privatisation. The big idea behind deregulation was that it would lead to huge competition and innovation. And it’s had the opposite effect. We’ve seen bus passenger numbers steadily decline since deregulation.”

Greater Manchester, under its mayor, Andy Burnham, is the only other authority in England to have recently been given powers over bus franchising – but the introduction has been fraught with legal challenges and bureaucratic hurdles.

Labour’s plans are expected to increase costs, including on central government, but Haigh says it would be “a much more efficient and less wasteful” system.

She said many local authorities wanted powers to run their own operations, similar to legacy public bus companies in cities such as Nottingham and Edinburgh. Labour would lift a ban on municipal bus ownership.

“It means that profit isn’t being sucked out of the system to private operators. It’s being reinvested into less profitable routes. So if that’s what’s right for local communities, then of course we want to see it,” Haigh said.

Haigh, a former Unite shop steward who comes from a family of trade union officials, is one of the shadow cabinet’s last remaining champions of public ownership – and argued the case forcefully for the full nationalisation of rail that was announced at party conference.

For the time being, there is likely to be no further movement on nationalisation of other key industries, including mail, water or energy, which the shadow chancellor, Rachel Reeves, underlined in a speech earlier this week.

Haigh suggests she would go further than the party is currently committed to “if money were no object” but says she agrees there had to be priorities.

“You could make that argument out of any of our essential utilities,” she said. “But I think the private train companies have really done my job for me in this regard.”

Stagecoch will be introducing timetable changes to bus services in East Devon from April.

Adam Manning www.sidmouthherald.co.uk

From Sunday April 2, changes are coming across their network to improve ‘punctuality.’

Stagecoach are asking travellers to please check the new timetables carefully as some departure times may have changed.

Service 9/9A (Exeter – Honiton/Seaton)

The Monday to Friday 4.pm departure from Exeter, currently terminating at Sidbury, is extended to Seaton. On Sunday and public holidays some additional journeys are introduced during the early evening.

NEW Service X30 (Exeter and Seaton)

Following a successful tender award by Devon County Council, a new Service X30 will be introduced. The service will operate between Exeter and Seaton via Exeter College Technology Centre, Exeter Science Park and Honiton Monday to Friday, with three journeys in each direction. 

Service 56E (Exmouth Local Service)

All journeys on Service 56E will be re-numbered Service 96.

Service 57 (Exeter – Brixington via Topsham and Exmouth)

The number of buses between Exeter and Exmouth are doubled with the Monday to Saturday daytime frequency increased from every 30 minutes up to every 15 minutes, plus a number of additional journeys are introduced during the early morning and evening.

The small number of journeys that terminate in Brixington part way round the route will now complete the full loop to maximise journey opportunities.

Service 58 (Exeter – Exmouth)

 The current 11.23am journey from Exmouth to Exeter is re-timed to depart at 11.30am and will no longer serve Brixington. The current 5.35pm journey from Exeter to Exmouth is re-timed to depart at 5.50pm.

Service 95 (Exmouth – Sandy Bay)

For the Summer, this service will run every 30 minutes and the route operated with open top double decker buses. Buses will also resume operation on Saturday, Sunday and Public Holidays.

For passengers wishing to travel to and from Sandy Bay during the evening, Service 99E will be amended slightly to serve World of Country Life, which is a very short walk from Sandy Bay.

Service 96 (Exmouth – Lympstone)

An additional journey will operate Monday to Saturday at 6.10pm from Lympstone to Exmouth.

Journeys that currently operate as Service 56E will be re-numbered Service 96 and therefore the Service 96 timetable will include evening and Sunday / Public Holiday journeys between the town centre and Bryon Way.

Service 99E (Brixington – Littleham via Exmouth)

All evening journeys will additionally serve World of Country Life, to provide an opportunity to travel to and from Sandy Bay, during hours that Service 95 is not operating.

There are no changes to Sunday and Public Holiday daytime journeys.

A £1.2million off-road multi-use trail – described as the ‘missing link’ between Seaton and Colyford – is on the way.

Local Democracy Reporter eastdevonnews.co.uk 

The scheme, approved by Devon County Council’s (DCC) cabinet on Wednesday, March 8, will improve part of the existing National Cycle Network Route 2 in East Devon.

It currently diverts onto a section of road that is unsuitable for families and less-confident cyclists, writes Local Democracy Reporter Ollie Heptinstall.

The off-road section will run from the rear of properties at The Saltings to Marsh Lane Cemetery, linking to Seaton Wetlands.

It will ‘encourage and enable more people to use sustainable travel and help reduce carbon emissions’, according to DCC.

Route two of the network also includes the Exe Estuary Trail and connects Exmouth, Budleigh Salterton, Sidmouth, Seaton and Axminster through to the Dorset border and onwards towards Portsmouth.

Councillor Stuart Hughes, DCC cabinet member for highways, said: “By completing the missing off-road section of this route, it will unlock the full potential of the trail for people of all abilities.

“Establishing a high-quality sustainable travel connection will encourage people to be active while supporting our net-zero carbon targets and the green recovery of our economy.”

The approved Seaton to Colyford cycle trail; the off-road section is highlighted with the dotted line. Image: DCC

Councillor Marcus Hartnell, who represents Seaton and Colyton, added: “I welcome completion of this final section of the multi-use path.

“It’s a milestone that the communities of both Seaton and Colyford will welcome.

“The benefits are widespread, encouraging safe and sustainable travel, improving accessibility for all, and boosting the local tourism economy.”

Cllr Hartnell did, however, request safety improvements in Colyford where the path exits onto Seaton Road; an issue also raised by a number of local residents according to Cllr Hughes.

East Devon District Council also support the new scheme, a report presented to cabinet revealed. It believes the multi-use path ‘will provide a stimulus for further tourism growth’.

County council opposition leader Julian Brazil welcomed the plan but said he was ‘wary’ of what are described as ‘low traffic lanes’ along the route to Axminster.

“In some cases these can be the most dangerous for cyclists,” he said.

“If it’s anything like the lanes near me, that is high hedge lanes with lots of blind corners, and the idea that cyclists have a safe passage is far from true.”

Cllr Brazil acknowledged the council ‘can’t solve that overnight’, but said it was something that should be looked at ‘in the future’.

In response, Cllr Hughes said the part of the route towards Axminster had been used for a number of years already.

DCC’s cabinet approved the section of trail. It is set to be constructed this summer.

The ‘shocking’ state of North Devon’s roads has led to a Conservative councillor quitting his party saying there is a ‘non-committal’ response from the government when asking for help. 

Lewis Clarke www.devonlive.com 

Councillor Paul Henderson who was a Conservative district councillors in the South Molton ward and Devon County member for the Culmleigh & Landkey division for the past two years, will now sit as an independent. He is also a member of South Molton Town Council.

He said: “The decision for me to resign from the Conservative Party in the middle of February was one which I did not take lightly. I must stress at this point that my decision is not a reflection on my councillor colleagues for whom I only have great respect – regardless of any political allegiances.”

As well as the state of North Devon’s road, he says the governance of the North Devon Conservative group also forced him to make the decision to quit.

On the highways, Cllr Henderson said: “Devon County Council is responsible for the maintenance of our roads. However, for well over a decade funding from central government has been reduced and with increasing pressures on both adult health and social care as well as children’s services, the highways budget has declined drastically. That’s simply a point of fact. If the money isn’t there, then the necessary repairs cannot be carried out.

“Both our ‘A’ and ‘B’ roads are in a shocking state but many unclassified rural roads are now to my mind dangerous to drive on. I spend as much time on two wheels as I do driving my car, but I cannot ride my motorcycle any longer in the wet or at night because to put it bluntly, I simply don’t trust the road surface under my wheels. At my age I’m not going to mend terribly quickly (or worse) when – not if, I hit a broken road surface or pothole on the bike.

“I and a number of my parishes have asked our MP to lobby Westminster for additional funding to stop the deterioration of our road network – particularly here in North Devon. The response received was non-committal, instead quoting overall funding for the country instead of detailed information relating directly to Devon. There was also veiled criticism of Conservative run Devon County Council as to how the money they do receive is spent. Please bear in mind that I was, at the time, in the same party as the MP.

“Unless significant investment is made into Devon Highways – and we’re talking £100’s of millions of pounds over the coming few years, then I fear the damage many of us are experiencing to our vehicles will deteriorate into personal injury or death because of the condition of our highways.”

On North Devon Conservative governance, he added: “In May we’ll all have the chance to vote for candidates to become parish, town and district councillors. These elections are carried out under the strictest of rules and once elected, all councillors must follow a code of conduct.

“In essence, that means that if you attend a council meeting you must declare an interest on any agenda item to which you have either a personal or potentially prejudicial interest. That’s there to protect democracy. Unfortunately, the same rules do not appear to apply to the Conservative Party when going through their selection process to decide who should stand to contest a particular seat/ward.

“I’m sure all the political parties have a similar selection process but to me the one run by the Conservative Party is unacceptable and this was my primary reason for deciding to leave the party.

“Conservative Party candidates are selected by either their very local members or in many cases, candidates are interviewed by the executive of their relevant Conservative Party Association.

“Prior to a recent selection meeting, I queried the attendance of one voting member of the executive as they were, in effect, a paid employee of the candidate that was to sit before the panel. The response I received from the chair of the local Association having checked with Conservative Central Office was that this member of the executive did have the right to take part in the selection process and vote.

“To me, that is wrong on every single level. It is nothing to do with the personalities involved. As a councillor, the Code of Conduct is there to protect democracy, but the Conservative Party system to select candidates is by its very nature deeply flawed. I’m not suggesting any wrongdoing by the North Devon Conservative Association, but that system is open to manipulation and/or abuse and for me, I cannot be part of something that fundamentally goes against basic rules of democracy.”

In response, Selaine Saxby MP for North Devon said: “I am fully aware that we have the longest road network in the United Kingdom by 2,000 miles and that the council is working flat out to try to repair the proliferation of potholes that we have seen this winter. Not only has the weather contributed but we need to recognise that in rural Britain we have enormous farm vehicles on tiny lanes and we therefore create even more potholes, yet our council is not assigned long-term funding solutions to tackle them.

“The short-term approach to funding, with inadequate rural weighting, makes the cost of repairing each pothole far higher. At this time, Devon is moving teams off scheduled roadworks as we cannot take on full-time highways teams due to the uncertainty around long-term funding. I hope that the Minister will be able to take that away and see what more can be done to address the entirely unacceptable state of our roads. If there were an Ofsted inspection of roads, I suspect we would go into special measures, yet the current funding mechanism contributes to that. The damage that potholes do to vehicles is also hugely expensive to motorists and the council, which is no doubt reimbursing a growing number of inconvenienced motorists with damaged tyres. And it deters people from switching to active travel solutions because of the potential risk of falling due to a pothole.”

Aka “30p Lee”, ignores his own stricture – Owl

John Stevens www.mirror.co.uk (Extract)

Conservative Party deputy chairman Lee Anderson has got a show on GB News despite previously suggesting MPs wanting to earn big money should give up their day jobs in Parliament.

There were rumours the money could go into children’s services

Devon’s county farms will not be sold, the county council’s leader has pledged.

More examples of the state we are in – Owl

Ollie Heptinstall, local democracy reporter www.radioexe.co.uk

John Hart (Conservative) made the commitment after opposite number Julian Brazil (Lib Dem) claimed he had “heard rumours” they could be sold to pay off a growing overspend in supporting children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

Devon’s total running overspend on the service is projected to be £127 million at the end of this month, rising to £153 million by March 2024.

Councils across the country have been instructed by the government to keep these overspends in ring-fenced accounts separate from its main budget while it develops a new funding model – an arrangement recently extended to 2026.

Negotiations between Devon and the government are ongoing about what will happen to the total – effectively debt – and who will be responsible for paying it off.

Speaking at a cabinet meeting on Wednesday [8 March], Cllr Brazil said: “I think at some stage we’ve got to have a clearer understanding of what that [overspend] is going to entail within the council.

“I’ve heard rumours that we’re going to flog off all our farms in order to pay that off.  That’s the kind of rumour that I’m hearing.”

In response, Cllr Hart said: “I will categorically say to you now, Cllr Brazil, that we are not selling the farms estate … the farms estate is not on the market. They never have been, and I said when I took over the leadership of this council that it was one of the jewels in our crown that I’m most proud of.”

Leader of the Labour group, Cllr Carol Whitton, said she “welcomed” the comments, adding: “It is indeed a real asset that is held by the county council and brings in a useful income.”

She continued: “It is a beacon in our rural agricultural county for best practice and for helping people into that particular industry.”

Devon’s county farms estate contains 3,873 hectares (9,570 acres) of agricultural land and comprises 65 fully equipped residential dairy and mixed livestock farms.

According to the county council, the estates “aims to provide people with their first opportunity to farm but with a view that within a reasonable time frame, they secure an independent livelihood from agriculture.”

Liberal Democrat councillor Alistair Dewhirst said Cllr Hart’s pledge was “really important … because there are many people out there who are really concerned about the situation at Devon County Council with this massive, huge overspend going on that somehow is hidden from public view but we all know is there.”

Updating colleagues, Cllr Andrew Leadbetter (Conservative), cabinet member for children’s services said the council is trying to reach a resolution on the SEND overspend, adding: “I am confident we will sort this out.”

Boris Johnson’s pay accounts for 85% of all outside earnings declared by MPs so far this year

Includes Persimmon.

“ Developers: Time is running out” – Michael Gove

A major housing developer at the heart of a government campaign to fix unsafe buildings has said it has still not received the final version of a crucial contract that they need to sign in the next five days or risk being “banned” from operating in the market, PoliticsHome has learned.

www.politicshome.com

In January, house-building companies were given six weeks to sign a legally binding agreement that will commit them to funding repairs to unsafe buildings in England that they have developed or refurbished over the last 30 years.

Earlier this week housing secretary Michael Gove put pressure on companies to return the crucial contract in order to avoid the ban. “One week to sign the building safety contract to fix unsafe buildings you are responsible for or you will be banned from operating in the housing market,” he tweeted.

The legal commitment solidifies a pledge made last year by 49 developers to remediate critical safety works.

When Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities DLUHC launched the contract on January 30, they said that legislation planned for this Spring will create a Responsible Actors Scheme, which will allow ministers to block developers who have not signed the contract or do not comply with it, and prevent them from operating as usual in the housing market. 

However, Persimmon featured on the government’s press release to publicly back the legally-binding contract when it was launched on 30 January, and said they were the “first” to signal their intention to sign, say they have still not received the final paperwork from government. 

“We still intend to sign as we signalled in January. We will do so as soon as we receive the final contract to sign,” a spokesperson for Persimmon told PoliticsHome.

“The department has not sent that to us yet.”

When the contract was launched at the end of January, Dean Finch, the group chief executive at Persimmon said in the government’s press release that the “terms of the contract are entirely consistent with our existent commitment to protect leaseholders” and “we are pleased to confirm our intention to sign the final document.” 

Another major housing developer, Lovell, who signed last year’s pledge, said that they have told the department they will sign the contract, but are also still waiting for a final version to be issued. 

“The final-form legal contract was issued in January 2023 and Lovell Partnerships Limited has confirmed in writing to DLUHC its intention to sign and execute the contract on or before the stipulated date of 13 March 2023,” a spokesperson for Lovell Partnerships said.

“We await a final version of the contract from the Department of Levelling Up Housing and Communities to enable signing.”

While some firms are believed to have received the final paperwork, PoliticsHome understands that work is still ongoing within DLUHC to add a number of annexes to contracts relating to specific buildings from particular firms, and officials hope this will be sorted in the coming days before the final deadline. 

When the contract was first announced, Gove said “there will be nowhere to hide for those who fail to step up to their responsibilities – I will not hesitate to act and they will face significant consequences”. 

A spokesperson at the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities said: “Developers who signed the pledge last year committed to remediate buildings they developed. The contract binds them to that commitment.

“All developers received the final text of the contract on 30 January and several have since confirmed they will sign.

“We expect all developers to do so without delay. Those that fail to do the right thing will be banned from the housing market.”

Planned cuts to homeless prevention services in Devon have been criticised by senior opposition councillors.

Ollie Heptinstall.www.midweekherald.co.uk 

Devon County Council is consulting on proposals to stop funding adult homelessness services across the county, saving around £1.5 million per year.

It says it can no longer afford to pay for the services, with the money instead going towards increasing spending in other areas that support vulnerable children, young people and adults.

But local charities have urged it to think again.

YMCA Exeter, which receives £150,000 in support from the council, said “the consequences for vulnerable young adults will be huge,” while St Petrock’s warned it could lead to a “homelessness crisis” in the city.

The proposals come as new figures reveal the estimated number of rough sleepers in Devon increased by 28 per cent last year to 113.

Opposition leader of the council, Julian Brazil (Lib Dem, Kingsbridge), said: “It’s extremely worrying, but we all knew it was the case.

“Despite all the positive messages around the budget, we knew it was absolutely appalling and we’re struggling to find these cuts somewhere.”

But he added he had “some sympathy” with the council and expressed his frustration at the county’s Conservative MPs, who he claims have failed to secure more money for Devon.

“The truth is, if we don’t get the proper funding from central government, we’re never going to be able to provide these services.

“And they put as much spin as they like on it, but in the end these are cuts to the most vulnerable people in Devon and it breaks my heart to think we’re having to do that.”

Speaking to Devoncast from Radio Exe, Independent councillor Jess Bailey (Otter Valley) said she was “very concerned” about the proposals.

“I think it’s the worst possible time and, as a member of the [county council’s] health and adult care scrutiny committee, I will be looking very closely at these proposals. I’m strongly opposed to them and I think it’s removing funding from our most vulnerable residents.

“I’m very disappointed that the county council cannot apparently find the money for our most vulnerable residents and I think, in terms of health inequality, we need to find a way of supporting these people and continuing with that funding.”

Outlining the potential impacts of its loss in funding last week, YMCA Exeter warned that over 100 young adults a year could continue to face homelessness and “no longer have access to tailored wellbeing support, unable to move beyond their circumstances and thrive again.”

“Without the essential prevention measures YMCA Exeter provides,” it said, “Devon County Council could find themselves covering an average bill of over £924,000 a year in adult social care costs, rather than the current £157,000 they give to YMCA Exeter.”

The council estimates the cuts could save around £1.5 million per year. (Image: Terry Ife)

Meanwhile, Peter Stephenson, St Petrock’s director said the proposals are “disastrous for people at risk of homelessness in Exeter and across Devon, who are some of the most vulnerable people in our community.

“Long-standing and desperately needed support is set to disappear, removing a life-line people desperately need to avoid becoming homeless.”

A spokesperson for Devon County Council said: “We’ve budgeted this year to significantly increase spending in services that support vulnerable children, young people and adults, to meet rapidly growing demand for those services.

“To prioritise spending on our statutory responsibilities, we have to make savings in the region of £45 million from elsewhere and get the best possible outcomes from every single penny we spend.

“While we’ve been able to help fund this support service in the past, even though it falls outside our statutory adult social care responsibilities, sadly, we can no longer afford to do so.

“Reluctantly, we are therefore proposing to stop our contributions to this contract and instead target our scarce resources to support growing numbers of vulnerable adults who are eligible for social care support.”

The spokesperson added: “We will not make a decision regarding this proposal until we’ve considered the consultation responses, and we encourage people in the meantime to let us know what they think.”

The public consultation is open until Wednesday, April 19.